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UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira
Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili
22-3 · CHN
VS
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza
19-6 · USA
November 12, 2022 · New York City, New York, USA
Strawweight · 5 rounds
114.8lb
Weigh-in
114.6lb
Zhang Weili def. Carla Esparza by SUB (Rear Naked Choke), R2 1:05
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1
Weili33/650/001:00
Esparza5/271/300:53
R2 · 1:05
Weili4/130/000:30
Esparza1/50/100:02
Total
Weili37/780/001:30
Esparza6/321/400:55

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
WeiliWin probabilityEsparza
53.7%46.3%
KO / TKO
30%
Submission
14%
Decision
57%
Expected fight time: 18.0 min
Retrospective pick: the walk-forward model's call at the time of the fight — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Weili, blue toward Esparza. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Weili54%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO21%38%
Submission9%17%
Decision24%45%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes69 (2994)act 37
Takedowns0.5 (0.02.3)act 0
Esparza46%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO9%19%
Submission5%11%
Decision32%70%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes55 (2374)act 6
Takedowns1.5 (0.04.5)act 1
Combined totals~124 sig strikes~2.0 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R115%
R215%
R37%
R44%
R53%
Distance56%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 0.8%
Weili
57.1%-135
Esparza
+13542.2%
Most takedownstie 28.9%
Weili
18.6%+281
Esparza
-28152.4%
Significant strikes — over/under
Weili
Expected: 69.2
69
Over 69
39.5%
+151
Exactly 69
0.7%
push
Under 69
59.8%
-151
087173
Esparza
Expected: 54.8
55
Over 55
39.1%
+153
Exactly 55
0.9%
push
Under 55
60.0%
-153
069137
Takedowns — over/under
Weili
Expected: 0.5
0.5
Over 0.5
33.3%
+200
Under 0.5
66.7%
-200
035
Esparza
Expected: 1.5
1.5
Over 1.5
45.0%
+122
Under 1.5
55.0%
-122
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 18.0 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Weili53.7%76.6%−22.9-400
Esparza46.3%23.4%+22.9+310

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
69.5Striking61.1
Weili +8.4
46.7Grappling49.2
Esparza +2.5
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
WeiliEsparza
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1606
Pound-for-pound
1623
1607
Divisional
1623
1518
Striking offense
1451
1499
Striking defense
1525
1512
Grappling offense
1515
1519
Grappling defense
1507
Physical
33 yrs
Age
35 yrs
5'4"
Height
5'1"
63"
Reach
63"
Switch
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
5.78
Strikes landed / min
2.20
48%
Strike accuracy
41%
4.26
Strikes absorbed / min
2.59
52%
Strike defense
55%
Grappling (UFC career)
2.09
Takedowns / 15 min
3.25
34%
Takedown accuracy
35%
60%
Takedown defense
47%
0.3
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.3
Form & résumé
75%
UFC win rate
71%
+1
Win/loss streak
+6
60%
Last-5 win rate
100%
50%
Finish rate
20%
Recent opp. quality
154
Days since last fight
189
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Zhang Weili
  • WJoanna JedrzejczykKO/TKO R2
    Close -1605mo before
  • LRose NamajunasS-DEC R5
    Close -1221y before
  • LRose NamajunasKO/TKO R1
    Close -2091y 7mo before
  • WJoanna JedrzejczykS-DEC R5
    Close -1852y 8mo before
  • WJessica AndradeKO/TKO R1
    Close +1703y 2mo before
Carla Esparza
  • WRose NamajunasS-DEC R5
    Close +1866mo before
  • WYan XiaonanKO/TKO R2
    Close +1091y 6mo before
  • WMarina RodriguezS-DEC R3
    Close +1452y 4mo before
  • WMichelle Waterson-GomezS-DEC R3
    Close -1552y 6mo before
  • WAlexa GrassoM-DEC R3
    Close +1253y 2mo before
Weili — win / loss by method
Record: 22-3-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
11 wins, 1 loss
W
50% of wins
L
33% of losses
Submission
7 wins, 0 losses
W
32% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
4 wins, 2 losses
W
18% of wins
L
67% of losses
UFC
6win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (33%)KO/TKO(50%) 1
1 (17%)Submission(0%) 0
3 (50%)Decision(50%) 1
Non-UFC
16win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
9 (56%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
6 (38%)Submission(0%) 0
1 (6%)Decision(100%) 1
Esparza — win / loss by method
Record: 19-6-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
4 wins, 2 losses
W
21% of wins
L
33% of losses
Submission
4 wins, 1 loss
W
21% of wins
L
17% of losses
Decision
11 wins, 3 losses
W
58% of wins
L
50% of losses
UFC
10win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (10%)KO/TKO(50%) 2
1 (10%)Submission(0%) 0
8 (80%)Decision(50%) 2
Non-UFC
9win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
3 (33%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
3 (33%)Submission(50%) 1
3 (33%)Decision(50%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Weili
Esparza
8
UFC fights
14
93.2 min · 11.6 avg
Octagon time
203.2 min · 14.5 avg
12y 9m
Career length
16y 5m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Weili
Esparza
110W–33L · 76.9%
Overall
139W–25L · 84.8%
91W–25L · 78.4%
Wins
104W–18L · 85.2%
19W–8L · 70.4%
Losses
35W–7L · 83.3%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Weili
Esparza
92W–52L · 63.9%
Overall
59W–20L · 74.7%
92W–52L · 63.9%
Wins
29W–16L · 64.4%
0W–0L
Losses
30W–4L · 88.2%
Distance striking
Weili
Esparza
6.09
Landed / min
2.34
41.7%
Accuracy
30.4%
56.0%
Defense
65.5%
0.32
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.00
68.8%
Time at distance
50.6%
Grappling & control
Weili
Esparza
2.09
Takedowns / 15 min
3.25
34.2%
Takedown accuracy
35.5%
60.0%
Takedown defense
47.2%
0.32
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.30
60.9%
Control share
65.5%
Strike target map
Weili
  • Head55%(297)div 61%
  • Body13%(72)div 22%
  • Legs31%(169)div 16%
Esparza
  • Head73%(327)div 61%
  • Body15%(67)div 22%
  • Legs12%(53)div 16%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Zhang Weili
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Carla Esparza
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.